FAH submitted a statement for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on “Legislative Proposals to Increase Medicaid Access and Improve Program Integrity.” FAH outlined its support for and concerns with legislative proposals to enhance Medicaid services and ensure program integrity.

Specifically, FAH supports H.R. 7513, the Protecting America’s Seniors Access to Care Act, which opposes one-size-fits-all staffing requirements in long-term care facilities. Instead, FAH advocates for flexible staffing policies that leverage technological innovation and emerging care models to improve care quality and reduce nurse burnout. Also, while recognizing the importance of state-directed payments in Medicaid managed care under H.R. 8113, FAH suggests that existing reporting requirements by CMS may already address concerns, recommending that Congress focus on evaluating the effectiveness of these measures rather than imposing new ones.

The hearing, led by Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA), featured witness Daniel Tsai, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at CMS. Overall, the hearing centered on balancing the need for Medicaid program integrity and expansion with the practicalities of administration and state-level flexibility, as well as differing views on the impact and necessity of recent and proposed federal rules.